Book

Kerala Brahmins in transition: a study of a Namputiri family

Finnish Oriental SocietyHelsinki • Published In 2000 • Pages: xii, 436

By: Parpola, Marjatta.

Abstract
This discussion of change and continuity in the lives of Namputiri Brahman caste members draws on day-to-day and season-to-season accounts of behavior and religious roles in specific social situations, especially the organization of domestic space, gender-based division of labor, kinship and marital relations, the observation of dietary rules, bathing, dress, and adornment. The focus is on the significance of the contexts and behavioral adjustments for understanding the ways in which Brahman families sought to preserve their Vedic liturgies and rites in the face of a series of government policies designed to abolish the caste system.
Subjects
Castes
Status, role, and prestige
Priesthood
Congregations
Sacred objects and places
Theological systems
Avoidance and taboo
Purification and atonement
Prayers and sacrifices
Inter-community relations
Ethnopsychology
Ethnosociology
Religious denominations
Religious intolerance and martyrs
Acculturation and culture contact
Education system
Transmission of beliefs
Gender status
Division of labor by gender
Normal garb
Special garments
Visual arts
culture
Kerala
HRAF PubDate
2017
Region
Asia
Sub Region
South Asia
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Anthropologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Teferi Abate Adem ; 2016
Field Date
1983-1996
Coverage Date
1730-1999
Coverage Place
Panjal, Thrissur district, Kerala, India
Notes
by Marjatta Parpola
Includes bibliographical references (p. [393]-402) and index
LCCN
2001372404
LCSH
Nambudiris--Social life and customs--20th century
Brahmans--India--Kerala--Social life and customs--20th century